This is the third part of a new series that will examine players who are tough to rank in fantasy football, continuing with running backs. Click here for QB and WRs.
PROS
Barkley goes from a New York offense that averaged the third-fewest points per game (15.6) last season to a Philadelphia team that averaged 24.6 ppg and has a far superior offensive line; in fact, the Giants ranked last in adjusted line yards last year, while the Eagles ranked first in run block win rate. Barkley has only 19 career rush attempts during the fourth quarter when leading by 8+ points; the Eagles have 109 carries in those situations over just the last two seasons!
D’Andre Swift led the NFL last year in rush attempts off the read option, where Barkley’s YPC jumped from 3.9 to 5.0. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has engineered at least a top-four pace (situation-neutral) during all five years he’s coached, and the Eagles were just 18th last year.
According to a report, “several scouts around the league believe Barkley could have a Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco type impact” with his move to Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts may steal some touchdowns, but Eagles running backs totaled 33 rushing TDs from 2021-2022. Barkley doesn’t have a huge career workload for a 27-year-old, and he was fantasy’s RB5 as recently as 2022.
A healthy Barkley could be lethal while finally running behind a dominant offensive line.
CONS
Barkley’s decline last season involved more than just his teammates, as his broken tackle% (4.7) was the sixth-worst in the league — only Kareem Hunt, Miles Sanders, Ezekiel Elliott, Ty Chandler and Swift were worse. Barkley’s new quarterback scored 15 rushing touchdowns last year, including 11 from the one-yard line. The Eagles were one of only two teams without a single RB rush attempt from the goal line last season.
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Philadelphia running backs rank just 25th in targets since Hurts took over as starter…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/make-a-call-in-fantasy-football-draft-decisions-running-backs-saquon-barkley-josh-jacobs-143556096.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-11 14:35:56
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